Window roller shade cover



June 23, 1964 T. w. cox 3,138,195

WINDOW ROLLER SHADE COVER Filed June 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l W Zdga 9 June 23, 1964 'r. w. c ox 3,138,195

WINDOW. ROLLER SHADE COVER Filed June 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 75a dam WC F 5 25 M A T TORNZY PLE.7A 20 United States Patent.

New Jersey Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 119,953 1 Claim. (Cl. 16039) This invention relates in general to a cover or guard for a roller shade to be mounted on a window frame for concealing or housing a shade roller mounted in the frame.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 45,973 'filed July 28, 1960, now abandoned.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cover or guard for a shade roller mounted in a window frame and a portion of the shade rolled on the shade roller to close the spaces between the roller shade and the lintel and jambs of the frame and thereby improve the appearance of the window and partially pro tect the shade against accumulation of dust thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shade roller cover or guard of this character which shall comprise a novel and improved construction and combination of a cover plate or front member and a pair of brackets each to be secured on one of the window jambs to cooperate with the other bracket for supporting the shade roller and to removably support or mount the cover plate in the window frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover or guard of the character described wherein brackets and the cover plate are formed of molded plastic or synthetic resinous material such as a vinyl compound and the brackets and the cover plate shall have cooperative engaging portions for easily and quickly mounting the cover plate in and removing it from the brackets.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved cover plate which shall comprise a plurality of relatively longitudinal slidable but relatively transversely immovable sections whereby the sections can be adjusted longitudinally of each other in varying overall lengths of the plate and thus accommodate the cover plate to window frames of different widths.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel and improved shade roller brackets including portions to adapt in brackets to window jambs of different crosssectional shapes, for example window jambs having colonial type mouldings, or jambs having so-called clamshell type mouldings, or window jambs without mouldings whereby the brackets can be firmly secured in different types of window frames.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the top portion of a window frame in which is mounted a roller shade cover embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse retrosectional view on the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the brackets viewing the same from the front side thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a similar view looking at the bracket from the lower side thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a detached perspective view of the cover plate, viewing the same from the inner side thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation of the bracket shown in FIGURE 3 detached from the window frame and the cover plate;

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FIGURE 7A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the plane of the line 7A7A of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of a modification of the bracket and an adapter for mounting the bracket in a window frame without mouldings;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the adapter shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing the bracket and another type of adapter mounted in a window frame having a clam-shell type moulding;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the adapter shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 1111 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 13 is a front elevation of the other bracket of the pair of which the bracket of FIGURE 7 is a part.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 through 7, inclusive, the reference character A designates a window frame in which is mounte ed a shade roller cover or guard B embodying the invention. In the present instance the window frame is shown as comprising two vertical members or stiles C joined at their top ends by a top piece or lintel D. The sill defining the bottom of the window frame is not illustrated. In many window frames there are moulding strips E secured to the sides of the stiles and lintel, and generally the window frame parts including the moulding are formed of wood and the whole frame is set in a window opening in the wall F of a building.

The invention resides in the cover or guard B the shade roller 1 and the portion of the window shade 2 that is rolled thereon. In the present embodiment of the invention, the cover or guard comprises a left-hand bracket 3 and a right-hand bracket 4 each of which is secured to the moulding strip E of one of the stiles C, and as usual the bracket 3 is provided with an angular polygonal recess 5 to receive the trunnion 6 of the shade roller that is connected to the spring, while the other bracket 4 has a circular recess 7 to rotatably receive the other trunnion 8 of the shade roller.

In addition to supporting the shade roller, the brackets 3 and 4 also serve to mount and support on the window frame a cover plate 9 which is preferably formed of a plurality of sections which are movable relatively longitudinally but are immovable relatively transversely; and the brackets and ends of the cover plate 9 have cooperative portions for firmly holding the plate in proper position with respect to the shade roller but at the same time per mitting the plate to be easily and quickly connected to and removed from the brackets.

The brackets and the cover plate are preferably formed of high impact molded plastic material, for example a vinyl compound, and each bracket includes a plate-like rear portion 10 and a relatively thicker front portion or extension 11 that projects beyond one side of the rear portion 10 to provide a shoulder 12 so that the rear portion 10 can be secured flat-wise against the inner face of the corresponding moulding strip E with the shoulder 12 abutting a front edge of the moulding strip as best shown in FIGURE 2. Each of the brackets also has a boss 13 molded on the front surface thereof in which is formed the corresponding recess 5 or 7 for the shade roller trunnion. The rear portion 10 of each of the brackets also has a plurality of openings 14 therethrough each of which is surrounded on the face or front side of the bracket by a boss 15, and the bracket is secured to the window frame by passing screws 16 through the openings 14 into the molding strip E or the jamb of the window frame with a washer 17 between the head of the screw and the boss 15. The washer has a circular recess 18 on its bottom surface to fit over and abut the boss 15 as best shown in FIG- URE ll.

The front side of each bracket that faces the other bracket also has at least one groove 19 as best shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 7 into which is frictionally fitted one end of the cover plate 9. The grooves are of a width approximately corresponding to the thickness of the cover plate and the bracket has a ledge 20 extending beyond one side wall of the groove to serve as a rest for the end of the cover plate during the insertion thereof into the groove, as best shown in FIGURE 2. Preferably, there are a plurality of concentric grooves arranged end to end, and to hold the plate 9 against movement transversely of itself in the grooves 19 of the brackets, the ends of the cover plate sections have notches 24 to embrace portions 23 of the brackets betweenthe grooves. It is desirable that both ends of each of the end sections be formed with such notches so that the sections can be connected with either end of either end section projecting beyond the intermediate section. It will be noted that the notches 24 provide portions of the cover plate sections between them each to be frictionally inserted into one of said grooves.

The cover plate is adjustable to fit window frames of different Widths, and as shown, the plate comprises two identical end sections 9a and an intermediate section 911 which is relatively longitudinally slidably connected at each end to one of the end sections 911. As shown, the sections are arcuate in cross-section and the intermediate section has inturned lips 21 at each end beneath which are slidable the edges of the corresponding end sections 9a. The end sections are thus easily slidable lengthwise relatively to the intermediate section, but the three sections are held against movement transversely of themselves.

In some cases it is desirable to mount the brackets on jambs of window frames that do not have moulding strips and where it is desirable to prevent the thicker portions of the brackets from overlapping the front of the window frame. For such cases, we have provided an adapter 25 that is shown in FIGURE 9 and of such shape and dimensions as to abut the rear face of the rear portion and the shoulder 12 of the bracket as shown in FIGURE 8; and the adapter 25 is provided with openings 26 to register with the openings 14 of the bracket for the reception of the screws 16.

In some windows the inner edge of the jamb or the inner edge of the moulding strip is arcuate or of the socalled clam-shell type as indicated at 27 in FIGURE 10. For such cases, the adapter is shaped differently as shown in FIGURES and 11 Where the adapter 28 has a curved portion 29 to fit the curved portion or nosing 27 of the jamb or moulding strip, the other sides of the adapter being formed to flatly abut the rear face of the rear portion and the shoulder of the bracket.

In use of the shade roller guard of the invention, the brackets 3 and 4 are secured in position by the screws 16 in the usual manner and the shade roller trunnions are fitted into the openings 5 and 7 of the brackets to mount the shade in the window frame. Then the sections of the cover plate 9 are properly adjusted to fit between the brackets and the end portions of the end sections of the plates are fitted into slots 19 of the corresponding brackets with the notches 24 in the cover plate embracing the-corresponding portion 23 of the brackets. The upper edge of the cover plate abuts the lintel or the moulding strip E as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, and the guard conceals both the space between the shade roller and the lintel and the spaces between the ends of the shade roller and the stiles. Being formed of plastic material of the desired color, the guard or cover is attractive and effective in concealing the shade roller and protecting it to a large extent from the accumulation of dust.

Many modifications and changes in the structural details in the parts of the cover will occur to those skilled in the art as being within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the brackets 3 and 4 may be varied to conform to the shapes of the surfaces of the side members or jambs and top members or lintels of the window frames in which the brackets are mounted. In all cases, it is desirable that the top edges of the brackets be so shaped and so spaced from the bearings or the said roller trunnions that said upper edges of the brackets may abut the lintels of the window frames and the shoulders 12 may abut the side members and thus accurately position the bearings of the brackets with a minimum of attention by the installer of the brackets.

I claim:

A bracket for a shade roller and a roller cover including a front member to be mounted on and span the distances between said bracket and a companion bracket secured on a window frame, said bracket molded of plastic material and comprising a plate-like main rear portion for attachment to the side member of a window frame and having a bearing on one side for a shade roller trunnion, a relatively thicker extension at one end of said main rear portion projecting from the opposite side of the main rear portion providing a shoulder at the juncture of the main rear portion and the extension to abut the front surface of said side member of the frame, said extension having at least one groove opening through the first-mentioned side of the brackets to frictionally receive a portion of the end of said front member of the roller cover, an adapter having surfaces to abut said shoulder and the corresponding side of the main rear portion, respectively, and another surface shaped to conform to and to abut the side member of a window frame, said main rear portion and said adapter having registering openings to receive fastening elements for securing the brackets to a window frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,023 Farley Jan. 10, 1882 385,233 Boda June 26, 1888 596,929 Wilson Jan. 4, 1898 1,727,528 T ruemper Sept. 10, 1929 1,789,764 McAnaney Jan. 20, 1931 1,873,156 Seide Aug. 23, 1932 2,271,847 Stark Feb. 3, 1942 2,569,756 Grigsby Oct. 2, 1951 2,633,322 Barr Mar. 31, 1953 2,899,166 Pigliavento Aug. 11, 1959 

